1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for producing high quality homogenized oilfield gels from traditional liquefied gel concentrates (LGC) and guar gum powder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art systems for generating oilfield gels generally rely on LGCs due to the difficulty of hydrating guar gum powder, where, if each particle of powder is not thoroughly wetted, unwanted agglomerates (“gel balls”) can form in the mixture, reducing the overall yield and requiring high energy, high shear processing, which is usually unsuccessful.
There are several advantages to using dry guar powder, including cost, environmental, and transport benefits. LCGs were previously created by suspending guar (or another polymer) in petroleum based products so that they could be pumped and blended with water. Due to environmental concerns stemming from the use and disposal of fracturing fluids, the petroleum products were replaced with natural mineral oils. However, these natural mineral oils are in short supply, are costly, and any fluid used for suspension adds a significant amount of weight to the total materials needing to be delivered to the site. Dry guar powder requires nothing for suspension, thus it is less expensive, weighs less, and is more easily transported.
There exists a need for dry powder handling and hydration systems that produce functional oilfield gel “on-the-fly” without recirculation, agglomerates, or damaging high shear processes.